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How do you remember things you need to do?

Doctor Q

Doctor Q

Administrator
Original poster
Staff member
Sep 19, 2002
40,493
9,470
Los Angeles
We've all got things to remember to do: things to do today, things to do this week, and events to remember thoughout the year. Birthdays, an upcoming party, a PTA meeting, the season premier of a show, when your term paper or library book is due, an event you have tickets for, when your car next needs an oil change, and so on.

How do you keep track of these things? iCal? iPod notes? A PDA? Setting the alarm on your watch? Stickies.app? Real sticky notes on your monitor or refrigerator? Scribbles on your desk calendar?

Does your method work?
 
It's interesting, I find that if I write stuff down I remember to do it whether I look at the list again or not.
 
numbers
for some reason, numbers just always stick with me, if i can remember the date or time or something about an event numerically, for some reason it just sticks in my head
if i cant think of a way to remember something numerically, i'll tell my gf to "remind me to do/go xyz" and whether she tells me or not, i tend to remember it

i have a really bad memory in general (i'll carry on a conversation and five minutes later i'll forget the whole thing sometimes) and it makes me laugh when I used to try the "ribbon" method of tying something around ur finger to remember u to do something, id forget why i put the ribbon around my finger
 
If it's short term (like a very short grocery list or something) I'll just make a note on my phone and set it to display that note in standby. For events, if it's coming up soon, I'll use Stickies, otherwise, for something a few days later, iCal and an alarm (or alarm on my cell phone)
 
yg17 said:
If it's short term (like a very short grocery list or something) I'll just make a note on my phone and set it to display that note in standby. For events, if it's coming up soon, I'll use Stickies, otherwise, for something a few days later, iCal and an alarm (or alarm on my cell phone)
Click to expand...

I'm pretty much the same way. Short term stuff I use stickies on my dashboard, but for longer term stuff I use iCal.
 
If it's something VERY important then I will not forget. If it's something pretty important that I really, really don't want to do (but have to) then I sticky note it in my iMac AND sticky note it on a real sticky note and put it on my iMac. :) If it's something I just need to get around to then it goes in my "things to do" sticky note in my iMac.

Also, when I am at work and I have to remember to do something later, I will email myself. For work related things (meetings, etc.) then I note/calendar it in my phone.
 
For me, it's usually the following:
Stuff today: my own memory + my watch alarm.

Stuff this week: reminders on the computer and notes in my briefcase.

Long-term stuff: My wall calendar.​
And so far I've managed to remember each wedding anniversary without any help at all. :)
 
I usually forget and then remember an hour after I was supposed to do whatever it was and go "OH SHIZZLE!!!!!!" :p

Really important stuff gets put into the calendar on my cell phone, which beeps at me a few minutes in advance. :)
 
I leave handwritten notes on my desk for myself, make events in my PDA, use iCal, make sticky notes in Dashboard, and mark events on an actual calendar in my home, and still manage to consistantly forget and/or miss most meetings, appointments, etc.

I only seem to remember things I care about, regardless of whether or not I use any type of reminder system. Things like office meetings, invoice due dates, and returning business-related phone calls don't usually make the cut. :rolleyes:
 
For recurring events like birthdays, bills due, etc. I use iCal.

For things we need at the store or things I want to get done in the next day or two, I write it down on a pad of paper.
 
I just keep remembering every night after everything has closed who I was supposed to call about what. This continues until I remember to do what needs to be done or the next occurrence of what I need to do comes up. Then the cycle repeats.

I do have one alarm on the first of every month for my dog's heart worm medication, but currently that's it.

And of course there is the wife as well...
 
most things are either on a hand written list sitting on my desk or a post-it note stuck to the chin of my imac..........but if I have to remember to take something with me on my way out of the apartment in the morning, I'll lean something against the door as a reminder
 
I write lists on my hand. Then I wash my hands and wash off the lists. Then I rewrite the lists.

Works pretty good, as I'm constantly forced to remember what I'm washing away.

Currently:

ACT
Return Tray
Grading
 
A solution I've been using for about a year now is the Kinkless GTD system. It's a free OmniOutliner Professional template (so you do have to pay for OmniOutliner Professional itself). You enter your tasks, due dates, and their context, and you get a list of things from which to choose the next activity based on its due date, priority, context, things like that.

It's based on David Allen's GTD system. I've only given his book a cursory read, and I was still able to use Kinkless GTD without problems.

There's talk of a standalone version of this system coming, so I'm not sure of the support status of this system. But their web site has an active and helpful community. I found it works well out of the "box" so I haven't needed any support so far.
 
More than a few days in advance and I make a note in iCal (if at home) or on my phone (if out) and they all merrily synch together.

I'm useless at using calendars as To Do Lists. For those, I tend to just write the key tasks down on a piece of paper and keep it hand. In my bag for personal stuff and on my desk for office things.
 
I carry around a planner, and I enter all of the information in iCal, as well.

I keep a grocery list on my refrigerator, as I run low on things I add them to the list so I'll remember to buy them.

I don't currently use a "to do" list for each day, but I'm thinking about giving it a shot next semester.
 
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